NATO JETS ‘INTERCEPT RUSSIAN SPY PLANE’ OVER BALTIC SEA

A Russian spy plane has been intercepted by Nato jets over the Baltic Sea, the alliance says, amid heightened tensions in the region.

Estonia summoned Russia’s ambassador on October 22 after its military said the Ilyushin-20 plane had entered its airspace for about a minute.

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Russia has been accused of several recent border violations in the region.

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In the past week, non-Nato member Sweden has been searching for a submarine reportedly sighted in its waters in the southern Stockholm archipelago some 48km (30 miles) from the capital. The suspected submarine is widely assumed to be Russian.

Last month, Estonia accused Russia of abducting one of its security officials on the border.

Nato said the Ilyushin plane had taken off from the Russian Baltic coast enclave of Kaliningrad on Tuesday and was “first intercepted by Danish F-16 jets when it approached Denmark”, before flying north towards Sweden.

Intercepted by Swedish planes, the Ilyushin entered Estonian airspace for less than a minute and was escorted out by Portuguese F16s, the alliance said.
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